Earlier this month, Russia released Brittney Griner after ten months of exile in exchange for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout. After multiple attempts at a prisoner swap, the U.S. government finally struck a deal with Russia for the freedom of the WNBA star. However, former Marine Paul Whelan was not a part of the prisoner swap deal and is still in his Russian penal colony. This was met with a major backlash from a lot of Americans across the country. Many called out the government for only bringing Griner back home to score political points.

After the release of Griner, Whelan’s sister and brother both shared their take on the difficult situation. They were both glad for Griner’s release and her reunion with her family. However, they were worried about the safety and health of their brother. Recently, David Whelan, brother of the former marine, shared some daunting details that could horrify Griner.

David Whelan on his brother Paul Whelan’s situation in Russia

During a recent interview with PEOPLE, David Whelan talked about his brother’s time in a Russian prison. David noted that it is hard to be optimistic year after year without his brother’s return. He then talked about what the calls with Paul from prison are usually about. If there is no call from Paul Whelan around 1 p.m., the family becomes worried even more fearing something unpleasant has happened.

During the interview, David said, “When those calls come, it’s not like you can just talk about, ‘How’s your day at work? What are you having for dinner?’ That sort of stuff. You’re talking about, ‘How do we get you food? What sort of medicine do you need right now?’ It’s always about the business of staying alive.”

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David also stated that he has been trying every day to bring her brother back home. Brittney Griner spent ten months in Russian captivity and close to a month in the IK-2 penal colony in Mordovia. She experienced the brutal conditions of the prison camps firsthand before she got help from the country and hence, is well aware of ‘the business of staying alive’ that Whelan has to go through.

Whelan has been in Russian captivity since December 2018. When the U.S. government was trying to bring back Griner, they assured Paul Whelan will be brought back as well. However, that did not turn out to be the case. Before the news about Griner’s release broke out, Whelan’s family was informed that Whelan could not be brought back this time.

The Brittney Griner prisoner swap deal

Before the prisoner swap took place, there were reports suggesting that Russia is only looking for a one-for-one swap. This cast doubts about the release of Paul Whelan. Many felt Whelan would be left behind for Brittney Griner. However, the officials dismissed the rumors and refused to give details about the prisoner swap deal.

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Then on December 8, Griner was finally released from prison. However, Whelan was not. People around the country showed their disappointment as many felt Griner was brought back because she was a celebrity.